Comments on: informal talk about forms: the nuts and bolts of rhythm, part 1 http://readwritepoem.org/blog/2008/05/22/informal-talk-about-forms-the-nuts-and-bolts-of-rhythm-2/ Mon, 03 May 2010 01:01:02 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Rob Kistner http://readwritepoem.org/blog/2008/05/22/informal-talk-about-forms-the-nuts-and-bolts-of-rhythm-2/comment-page-1/#comment-1602 Rob Kistner Sat, 24 May 2008 15:55:16 +0000 http://readwritepoem.org/?p=138#comment-1602 There is also a more leading edge rhythm of poetry - deconstructive free verse. It is the multi-rhythm of improvisational jazz. The rhythm lives uniquely in each line, and the lines overlay to form a dynamic composition. Like jazz, it is wonderfully open, and if one allows one's self the openness to fall into this type of poetic creation -- the rewards are deeply satisfying, even transformational. It is the beauty of discordance. There is also a more leading edge rhythm of poetry – deconstructive free verse. It is the multi-rhythm of improvisational jazz. The rhythm lives uniquely in each line, and the lines overlay to form a dynamic composition. Like jazz, it is wonderfully open, and if one allows one’s self the openness to fall into this type of poetic creation — the rewards are deeply satisfying, even transformational. It is the beauty of discordance.

]]> By: dale http://readwritepoem.org/blog/2008/05/22/informal-talk-about-forms-the-nuts-and-bolts-of-rhythm-2/comment-page-1/#comment-1600 dale Fri, 23 May 2008 19:47:27 +0000 http://readwritepoem.org/?p=138#comment-1600 Sorry, no. Seamus Heaney's translation is brilliant, but it does almost *nothing* to capture the rhythmic effects of Old English verse, except that it has two heavy stresses, a caesura, and two heavy stresses in each line. But the metrical effects of Old English verse depend on very strict patterning of long and short syllables; the four heavy beats are just the skeleton on which the patterns are built. These effects are mostly not available in modern English, which doesn't really have much in the way of long and short syllables. Sorry to kvetch, but this is really too misleading. Old English poetry is not primarily accentual, it's primarily quantitative. More like Latin poetry than like Shakespeare. Sorry, no. Seamus Heaney’s translation is brilliant, but it does almost *nothing* to capture the rhythmic effects of Old English verse, except that it has two heavy stresses, a caesura, and two heavy stresses in each line. But the metrical effects of Old English verse depend on very strict patterning of long and short syllables; the four heavy beats are just the skeleton on which the patterns are built.

These effects are mostly not available in modern English, which doesn’t really have much in the way of long and short syllables.

Sorry to kvetch, but this is really too misleading. Old English poetry is not primarily accentual, it’s primarily quantitative. More like Latin poetry than like Shakespeare.

]]> By: Nathan http://readwritepoem.org/blog/2008/05/22/informal-talk-about-forms-the-nuts-and-bolts-of-rhythm-2/comment-page-1/#comment-1601 Nathan Fri, 23 May 2008 12:37:40 +0000 http://readwritepoem.org/?p=138#comment-1601 This is a clear summary. Well done. Thanks This is a clear summary. Well done. Thanks

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